Best Travel Guitars: 10 Great Guitars for the Road

We’ve all been there. Days away from home and feeling the urge to pick up your favorite axe. Unfortunately, traveling with guitars is never a hassle-free experience. If you’re flying, then your guitar could be stuck at home due to extravagant baggage costs, a fragile headstock, and some airlines resisting when you want to carry your guitar on to the plane. But worry no more! Sweetwater offers a selection of high-quality travel guitars that are specifically designed to accompany you on the road. To help you in your search, we’ve narrowed the field down to our top 10 greatest guitars for the road. From true acoustic instruments to electric guitars ready to take on an arena, we have included the most roadworthy guitars from today’s best guitar builders. By the time you finish reading through our list, there’s a good chance that you’ll find your new travel companion right here at Sweetwater.

10 Great Guitars for the Road

Martin Backpacker
Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric
Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa
Journey Instruments OF660M Overhead
Luna Aurora Borealis
Luna Tribal Mahogany 6-string Ukulele
Traveler Guitar CL-3E
Taylor GS Mini-e Bass
Traveler Guitar Left-handed Ultra-Light Electric
Martin Backpacker

Martin Backpacker

Unless you have somehow avoided it, most people have heard about Martin Guitar Co. The company’s instruments and innovations have been at the forefront of the acoustic world since Martin began crafting them over 180 years ago. The dreadnought, 14-fret neck joints, and X-bracing are all inventions Martin can claim. No matter what type of acoustic guitar you want, if it says Martin on the headstock, you really can’t go wrong. So when Martin focused on a travel-friendly guitar, we knew it was going to be something brilliant and brand-new.

Martin’s most popular travel-friendly guitar is the immediately identifiable Backpacker. Released over 25 years ago, it may well have been one of the first travel guitars anywhere. The Backpacker’s narrow dimensions and flared lower bout make slinging its case over your shoulder easy, while it still performs with an impressive low end. And stowing the guitar in an overhead compartment or cramped vehicle is a piece of cake. You can rest easy knowing the guitar is adequately protected in the included padded gig bag.

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric

Some guitar companies make one or two travel-friendly guitars. Traveler Guitar made an entire company around travel-friendly guitars. By focusing exclusively on the needs and desires of players who are often away from home, Traveler Guitar was able to come up with groundbreaking innovations that keep the company at the top of this instrument category. For instance, all Traveler Guitar models boast a full scale length while still fitting snugly away in compact places. Because of this, you’ll enjoy a full electronics complement and a wide range of tones. If you’re looking for a travel guitar that offers zero compromises, then a Traveler Guitar is the only way to go.

There aren’t many other bite-size guitars capable of standing toe-to-toe with the electrics that are already in your collection. But the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric is not like other guitars. With brilliant touches, such as its In-Body Tuning System, removable leg rest, and headless construction, the Ultra-Light Electric measures only 28″ long. But when you install the leg rest and plug it in, you’ll be playing through a high-output dual-rail humbucker on a full-scale guitar. If you’re a predominantly electric player who wants to take your music with you, then there isn’t a more convenient way to do it than the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric.

Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1

The Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 takes more than a few design cues from the popular ESP Eclipse line. The two companies partnered up to give you all the fast-playing, aggressive-looking performance of the Eclipse model in a guitar that you can take with you. But this rock machine doesn’t stop there. The onboard humbucking pickup pushes plenty of output to drive a guitar amp or pedal to perfection. Don’t worry if you don’t have an amp handy — the LTD EC-1 has onboard electronics with a great-sounding headphone preamp with adjustable drive settings. You can choose between clean, boost, overdrive, and distortion to dial in the perfect tone and rock out just on your headphones.

This collaborative effort with ESP offers a fresh high-performance take on the ever-popular Traveler Guitar. It has a fast neck, a contoured cutaway, and a full-sized ESP-designed active humbucker in the bridge position to harness the playability and full-throated tone of an ESP in a compact package. All these great features combine to make the Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 a surefire candidate for the best guitar for the road. In short, the LTD EC-1 is the travel guitar for the rocker in all of us.

Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

The name Taylor Guitars is synonymous with high-quality acoustic guitars across a huge price range. Each of Taylor’s instruments is expertly crafted with top-shelf tonewoods and player-friendly appointments, such as comfortable neck carves, plug-and-play electronics, and flawless setups. Taylor has also been creating travel-sized guitars for quite some time. The Baby and Big Baby acoustics are trimmed-down versions of what makes the company so legendary. When Taylor Guitars introduced an even more compact and feature-laden travel guitar, the company hit it out of the park.

If you like your travel guitars with a little extra visual appeal, then the GS Mini-e Koa is the acoustic-electric guitar for you. Though it boasts comfortable and easily portable dimensions, this acoustic instrument pushes a surprising amount of air. You’ll be quite content with its full, warm tone. But what truly sets this GS Mini-e apart is the stunning koa used to craft this gorgeous instrument. The wood’s golden hues will grab your attention, while your hand wraps around the guitar’s player-friendly neck dimensions. Small size, huge sound, and stunning looks. What more could you ask for?

Journey Instruments OF660M Overhead

Jet-setting guitar players know the pain and anxiety of opening their guitar case after completing a flight. “Will the top be in one piece? Will it still have a headstock?” If you pick up the Journey Instruments OF660M Overhead, you can kiss the anxiety of flying goodbye.

A newcomer to the guitar world, Journey Instruments debuted at NAMM in 2013. It all started when founder Rob Bailey grew tired of taking his full-sized guitar on the road with him during business trips. Eventually, he and his crack team of carbon-fiber engineers designed and patented the Overhead collapsible guitar system seen on the OF660M. You read that right; this axe’s neck is completely detachable, making it able to be broken down and stored in a carry-on-compliant gig bag. And since the guitar is made entirely from carbon fiber (minus the saddle, nut, and bridge pins), it won’t warp or crack due to changes in temperature or humidity. You’ll get a resonant guitar that isn’t affected by the weather and breaks down so that you can sit together. So if you’re taking a guitar on a plane any time soon, then you’ll want to take the OF660M Overhead guitar.

Luna Aurora Borealis

Since its founding, Luna Guitars has championed the affordable, accessible guitar for all ages and skill levels. Featuring eye-catching designs, superb playability, and easily affordable price tags, Luna guitars are found in guitar collections around the world. Built to inspire, you’ll love picking up your Luna after a long day at the conference hall.

The Luna Aurora Borealis is a cost-effective option to sate your traveling guitar fix. This 3/4-size guitar will easily travel with you wherever you go, and it offers great tone, easy playability, and a stylish finish to boot. Built with playing comfort in mind, this little guitar features a slinky 22.5″ scale length and a comfortable slim-C neck profile. You’ll have no problem playing this guitar — that’s for sure. Take it on your next trip and play to your heart’s content. If you’re looking for a great-sounding acoustic in a small, stylish package, then you have to try the Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4-size guitar.

Luna Tribal Mahogany 6-string Ukulele

Looking for a new tonal flavor for your next travel-sized instrument? Check out the Luna Tribal Mahogany 6-string Ukulele. You might be wondering why a ukulele is on our list of the best travel guitars. The reason is simple: you can easily tune it to standard guitar tuning. Think of Vance Joy’s hit song, “Riptide.” It was recorded on a ukulele in guitar tuning. This offers a distinct tonal profile that you won’t find anywhere else but on a ukulele. The best part? You won’t have to learn any new chord shapes to play your favorite tunes.

The Luna Tribal Mahogany features an all-mahogany body to give you a deep thrum with abundant overtones. You’ll appreciate how much air the fun-sized body can push when you’re strumming. A 20″ scale length gives the nylon strings an incredibly slinky feel. If you’re still on the fence, then who could pass on the traditional Pacific design engraved on the top? If you’re looking for a completely unique travel “guitar,” then the Luna Tribal Mahogany 6-string Ukulele is the way to go.

Traveler Guitar CL-3E

Traveler Guitar doesn’t stop at creating compact solidbody instruments. After all, as one of the leading travel guitar builders, Traveler creates instruments to cater to every kind of guitarist. The CL-3E offers extreme comfort, traditional tonewoods, and compact construction to the acoustic player on the go. Combine that with a great plugged-in tone, and you’ve got a recipe for traveling success.

This axe is packed with useful features. Starting with the body shape, you’ll feel right at home, thanks to the traditional headstock and comfortable contours. The intelligently designed contoured cutaway gives you unrestricted access to the upper end of the fretboard, while the armrest provides extra comfort for your picking arm. The CL-3E has an onboard Shadow pickup system to give you a warm and natural plugged-in tone for your next show. It has a 2-band EQ, a built-in tuner, and a headphone amp. Plug your smartphone into the aux input, and you can play along to your favorite tunes, no matter where you are. If you’re going to be on the road, the Traveler Guitar CL-3E won’t just come along — it’ll be your companion for late practices, shows, and more.

Taylor GS Mini-e Bass

Dreaming of a travel-friendly acoustic bass? There’s no need to pinch yourself; the Taylor GS Mini-e Bass is 100% real. This 4-string acoustic bass comes from one of the world’s premier acoustic brands. All Taylor guitars are built to satisfy the most stringent quality standards and use the best tonewoods available to create truly stunning instruments. Taylor offers the GS Mini-e Bass to give bass players a pint-sized acoustic option when traveling.

This acoustic-electric bass has a spruce top and a sapele body to give you a punchy tone. You’ll love the soft, slinky feel of the 23.5″ scale length. And when the opportunity comes up, you can even plug this bass in and play a set. The onboard ES-B electronics have a digital chromatic tuner and Tone and Volume controls. If you’re ever on the road, then make sure to bring the Taylor GS Mini-e Bass along with you for writing, rehearsing, and performing.

Traveler Guitar Left-handed Ultra-Light Electric

We can’t leave out our left-handed brothers and sisters! It’s not always easy to find a left-handed guitar that fits your needs, but Traveler Guitar offers a left-handed version of the Ultra-Light Electric. This travel-friendly electric guitar has the same thoroughbred pedigree as other Traveler Guitar models. It has a full 24.75″ scale length, a dual-rail humbucker, and space-saving body construction. No matter where you’re going, the Ultra-Light Electric from Traveler Guitar can come with you.

If you’ve never played a Traveler guitar before, then you’ll be impressed. This little electric guitar has a tone that punches well above its weight and can take on the other electrics in your collection. It also has a super-simple In-Body Tuning System, a detachable leg rest, and a well-balanced feel. Plug it into a dirty amp and let the high-output humbucker push your tone to a completely new level. At first glance, it’s easy to think that this guitar is too good to be true. But trust us — it’s even better than it looks. The no-nonsense construction, show-stopping tone, and uncompressed scale length make this the perfect guitar to travel with if you play left-handed.

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